Filling machine



Jan. l1, 1955 Fi led Dec.v 11, 1951 C. l.. DAY ET AL FILLING MACHINE 5 SheetsShet 1.

A 2 A 6E @@o@ ATTORNEYS.

l INVENTOR:

5 Sheets-She eliV 2 c. 1 DAY ETAL FILLING MACHINE Filed Deo. ll, 1951 /BY .Rudolph Jzgeeb/acc, "2" MMM MIMI...

j ATTORNQS,

Jan. 11, 1955 c. L. DAY .E1-A1. I 2,699,282

FILLING MACHINE l l Filed Dec. 11, 1951 5 sheets-Sheenn s Rudolf; Jeebucc,

BY Gwewj@ MMQAM ATTORNEYS.

Filed D90. l1, 1951 @ad L-D/ayfqi/ JZBr/eebace,

ATTORNEY Rudglp Filed Dec. l1, 1951 .Jau'xQl 11, 1955 4DAY ,Er-AL 2,699,282

I FILLING MACHINE V5 Sheets-Sheet 5 @5271 uw BY AITORNEYIS'n INVENTORS.'

United States Patent O FILLING MACHINE Carl L. Day and Rudolph H. Breeback, Baltimore, Md.,

assignors to Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., Baltimore, Md., a corporation of New York Application December 1l, 1951, Serial No. 260,968

8 Claims. (Cl. 226--98) The present invention relates to filling machines and, more particularly, to container filling machines of the rotary type.

Container filling machines of the rotary type usually include a filling table rotatable with respect to the base of the machine, the table being equipped with a plurality of container supporting platforms positioned adjacent the table periphery. The platforms are vertically reciprocablc with respect to the table so that a container placed upon a platform will be raised and lowered with respect to a filling head forming part of the filling table superstructure and aligned with the supporting platform. Such machines include means to lower successive platforms so that a container may be placed thereon by an infeed dial rotatable upon a stationary work table. Then the platform is caused to rise to move the container into engagement with the corresponding filling head so that the con tainer will be filled. After filling, the rotation of the filling table will return the platform and container to the lowering means so that the platform will move down to permit removal of the filled container and the delivery of another and empty container to the platform.

Robert J. Stewart and Wiltie l. Gladfelter Patent No. 2,202,033, issued May 28, 1940, for Filling Machine, discloses a beverage machine of the type described above wherein the container supporting platforms are urged to upward position by means of fluid pressure acting upon the platforms. In more detail, the platforms are movable with respect to cylinders or chambers fixed to the filling table and all of the cylinders are in communication with each other. By the Stewart and Gladfelter patent structure, the platforms are moved downwardly for removal and insertion of containers by means of a cam fixed to the base of the machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide a container platform raising and lowering structure which is entirely efiicient for use on high speed filling machines.

It now is usual to operate filling machines at speeds approximately 50% greater than was customary twenty years ago. Obviously, this requires that the filling table rotate substantially faster than the speeds previously used and also that the platforms move upwardly and downwardly at faster speeds. If a high speed machine is of the type described in the Stewart and Gladfelter patent, that is. has the platforms raised by fiuid pressure connected to all of the platform chambers, it is necessary that the fluid pressure acting upon the platforms be either at a higher pressure than formerly used, or that the pressure-subject areas be larger, or a combination of both factors may be used. With a higher pressure in the platform operating system, and with the table rotating at higher speed, it has been found that a marked back-lash occurs each time that a platform reaches the entrance end of the platform lowering cam. In other words, the rotation of the filling table causes the successive platforms to engage the cam at such high speed that, with high pressure acting upon the platform to urge it upwardly, a substantial resistance to rotation of the filling table occurs. Any such momentary resistance to filling table rotation, or back-lash, results in undesirable vibration and wear upon the movable parts of the machine.

We have discovered that the above-mentioned back-lash or resistance to rotation can be eliminated by provision of a cam of novel design. In more detail, if the cam is of such design that its entrance and exit rises are gradual and also preferably are of equal length, back-lash can be eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a filling machine platform controlling cam of such design as to enable platforms to be lowered without creating back-lash against rotary movement of the filling table.

A further object of the invention is to provide a platform controlling cam which is of such design that the number of platforms moving downwardly always will be equal to the number moving upwardly.

Another aspect of the invention relates to the manner of centering the containers with respect to the filling heads.

The beverage filling machines now customarily in use include a stationary work table provided with :an infeed conveyor on which empty containers enter the machine. The containers are removed from the infeed conveyor by a rotary dial which moves the containers to the successive container supporting platforms of the rotating filling table.

With high speed machines, the necessarily rapid transfer of containers from the rotary infeed dial to the container supporting platform moving at high speed in a circular path could result in the upsetting of some containers. Even if a container does not fall over, it may slide relatively to the platform and thereby be out of alignment with the depending nozzle of the filling head, and when the platform later rises, the nozzle may knock the container from the platform. Sliding is particularly apt to occur if the container or platform are wet.

It heretofore has been proposed to use container centering brackets on the container supporting platforms to insure that the containers will remain in proper position until they are lifted into sealing engagement with the filling head. However, such centering means increase the cost of the machine, especially because a different set of centering means must be provided for each diameter of bottle used upon the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container platform controlling arrangement of such design that a container will be securely positioned against movement imnediately it is placed upon the container supporting platorm.

In the embodiment of the invention hereinafter disclosed, we attain the above object by having the exit end of the bottle controlling cam of such design that immediately a container is placed upon a platform, the platform will raise sufficiently to cause the mouth of the container to surround the lower portion of the depending nozzle of the filling head. Thus, the container will be held against falling over and any sliding which may occur will be of no importance because the container mouth already will be centered with respect to the filling nozzle. Shortly thereafter, that is, after the platform has moved clear of the rotary dial, the platform will be raised to the usual extent to bring the container into firm or sealing engagement with the filling head.

Another aspect of the present invention is the provision of means adjacent the infeed conveyor of the filling machine to stop the infeed of containers. As is described in said Stewart and Gladfelter patent, containers to be filled usually are delivered to a filling machine upon an infeed conveyor of straight line type. If for any reason it has been necessary to quickly stop the infeed of con tainers and without waiting until the conveyor stops it heretofore has been the practice to jam a metal rod or a length of wood across the guideways at each. side of the infeed conveyor. By this arrangement, the infeed of containers will be stopped though the straight line conveyor will continue to slide beneath the containers. However, unless the bar or block happens to be positioned in exactly the proper way, the result may be that a number of the leading containers will fall over. At any rate, a means to stop the containers may not always be promptly available. lf the operator tries to hold back the containers by hand, a number of them usually are u set.

pStill another object of the invention is the provision of a container stop for use in association with the infeed conveyor of a filling machine and which stop is of such design that the containers will not be knocked over by the stopping action.

The container stopping device of the present invention generally may be described as comprising a plate adapted to be swung across the infeed conveyor and which plate is of arcuate form to thereby firmly and securely engage a circular container to hold it against falling.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l shows the infeed portion of a beverage filling machine, the infeed conveyor, infeed dial, and a number of the container supporting platforms being shown in plan. The view omits the superstructure of the filling table and, therefore, the filling heads.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail plan showing the container stopping device which appears at the left-hand portion of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a vertical axial section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a development of a container controlling cam included in the present invention and. also illustrating the position of the container supportingr platforms of the filling table when opposite the work table, as viewed from a point outwardly of the filling table circumference, and

Figure 5 is a development of another form of platform controlling cam included in the present invention, the view diagrammatieally illustrating the manner in which the cam controls the vertical position of the platforms.

Referring to Figure l, the numeral .l0 designates the stationary work table of a beverage filling machine of the same type as disclosed in said Stewart and Gladfelter Patent No. 2,202,033. in more detail, a straight line endless conveyor 12 moving from left to right in Figure l is adapted to move bottles or cans to the machine in random spaced relation, the containers being held in centered position upon the conveyor f2 by means of laterally adjustable guiderails or plates such as 14 and 16. The machine may be provided with a helically grooved container feeding device 18 such as disclosed in our application Serial No. 230,192, filed June 6, 1951, for Article Feeding Mechanism. As is disclosed in said application and patent, a rotary infeed dial 2t) receives the successive containers in its pockets to carry them in an arcuate path defined by the guideplate 22. Dial 20 rotates in timed relation to the rotary filling table generally designated 24 and which is provided with a plurality of vertically reciproeable container supporting platforms 26. As is diagrammatically indicated in Fgure 4, the superstructure of the filling table 24 is provided with a plurality of filling heads 28 such as disclosed in said patent, one vertically aligned with each container supporting platform 26. Each filling head includes a depending filling nozzle Sti having a centering bell 32 slidable thereon.

In order to enable the infeed or containers to be quickly stopped whenever it is desirable to do so, the stopping device generally designated 36 is mounted upon the work table 10 and at one side of the infeed conveyor 12. The detail construction of the container stopping device 36 is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. As there indicated the device 36 includes a horizontally disposed cylinder 33 positioned outwardly of the front guiderail 16, the axis of the cylinder extending parallel to the guiderail 16 and the line of travel of infeed conveyor 12. Cylinder 38 has its outer end provided with a fluid pressure inlet fitting 40 connected to a source of compressed air pressure through a pipe line 42. A piston 44 is reciprocable within the cylinder 38, the piston normally being held in a position shown in Figure 3 by means of a coil spring 46 positioned between the piston and the opposite end fitting 48 of the cylinder. Fitting 48 includes a boss extending into the cylinder to hold the rod 50 of the piston against lateral movement.

Outwardly of cylinder 38, the rod 5t) has a link S2 pivotally connected thereto by means of a vertically arranged pin 54. The other end of the link is connected by a pin 56 to the stopping plate designated 58. Plate 58 is mounted on a vertical pivot pin 59 extending between upper and lower ears 6() and 62 which extend horizontally outwardly from the guideplate 16. As is best shown in Figure 2, guideplate 16 has an opening 64 between the ears 6i! and 62, the opening being of such size as to permit the stopping plate 5S to lie therein when in operative position.

Stopping plate 58 includes an arcuate .Containf enga? ing surface 66. Pin 56 is so connected to the plate and in such relation to the axis about which the plate swings that movement of piston rod 50 to thc right in Figures l to 3 will cause the surface 66 to be positioned substantially transversely of the infeed conveyor 12 to thereby prevent forward movement of containers.

The air line 42 connected to cylinder 38 is adapted to be controlled by a valve, not shown. When the valve is actuated to cause compressed air to ilow into cylinder 38, piston rod 50 quickly will be moved to the right to thereby swing the plate 58 into container stopping position. When the valve is moved to its other position, the pressure will be exhausted, and spring 46 will return the piston rod and stopping plate 58 to the position illustrated in the drawings so that containers may continue to move with the infeed conveyor 12.

The fact that the stopping device is positioned alongside the conveyor 12, taken with the fact the plate 58 swings into the path of movement of the containers and has an arcuate container engaging surface 66 insures that the containers will be stopped without being upset.

Referring to Figure 4, this figure diagrammatically indicates the vertical motion of the container supporting platforms which occurs when they are moving adjacent work table 10. As is described in said Stewart and Gladfelter patent, the container supporting platforms 26 include depending cylinders 69 vertically reciprocable upon fixed tubes 70 which extend upwardly from a circular manifold 72 which surrounds and is fixed to the rotary filling table. Manifold 72 is adapted to receive suitable iluid, preferably compressed air, from a source such as disclosed in said patent. The tubes 70 are open at their' upper ends so that the compressed air can act upon a piston surface within each cylinder 69 to urge a containercarrying platform upwardly to a raised position such as indicated by the platform A at the extreme right of Figure 4. As is described in said patent, a platform may rise somewhat further if it does not receive a container from the infeed dial 20.

In order to lower the platforms 26 when they come adjacent the work table 10 and so that filled containers may be removed therefrom and empty containers placed thereon, the base of the machine has a cam 76 fixed thereto inwardly of the path of rotary travel of the platforms 26 and concentric with the axis of rotation of the filling table. Figure 4 illustrates cam 76 developed to lie in a vertical plane.

As is described in Robert I. Stewart and Frank S. Bell application for Filling Machines, Serial No. 29,235, filed May 26, 1948, now Patent No. 2,591,739 of April 8, 1952, the lower ends of the cylinders which carry the platforms may be provided with blocks 78 angled to engage the various surfaces of the cam 76 to thereby cause the platforms 26 to be lowered against the action of the fiuid pressure acting in the manifold 72 and through the tubes 70.

The form of cam 76 best can be described in connection with its action in controlling the position of the container supporting platforms 26, as follows: Figure 4 shows the rotary filling table 24 rotating from the right to the left, viz., clockwise as viewed in Figure l. As a container supporting platform 26 with a filled container C thereon moves adjacent the entrance end 80 of cam 76, the block 78 of that platform will engage the relatively slightly downwardly inclined rise 82 which initially will lower the platform to a slight extent before the platform block 78 engages the more steeply inclined rise 84. As mentioned above, rise 82 is particularly intended to be engaged by such platforms as did not receive containers and, therefore, are higher than platform A. At any rate, the rises 82 and 84 will cause the mouth of the container to be lowered from the corresponding filling head 28 so that the upper surface of platform 26 will be fiush with the surface of the Work table 10, the centering bell 32 sliding down along the filling tube 30 as the container lowers. This lowered position of the platform is indicated at B in Figure 4. Rise 84 terminates in a dwell 86 which retains the platform in lowered position and while the platform is in that position, the filled container will be removed by an outfeed dial, not shown, which initiates movement of the container to a suitable closing or capping mechanism.

The continuing rotation of the filling table 24 will cause the filling platform 26 to reach the position indi- ,Cied at C in Figure 4 which is a little beyond position C of Figure 1. It will be observed from Figure l that the platform at position C of that figure is receiving a container X from infeed dial 20, and in an instant the container will be centered on platform 26 and still fully engaged by the dial pocket. Figure 1 shows container centering devices on each platform but these usually are not necessary with the present invention.

The dwell 86 terminates in a slight rise 88. Figure 4 shows that the platform at position C is just starting to lift in accordance with rise 88, In more detail, rise 88 is so located with respect to the point at which dial positions a container in centered position on a platform 26 that rise 88 will permit the platform to begin to rise while infeed dial 22 still is engaging the container X on the platform. Rise 88 terminates in a relatively short dwell 90. Rise 88 has a vertical extent of the order of 15/i6th of an inch so that when a platform reaches dwell 90, the container thereon will be elevated a corresponding distance. That distance is enough to bring the mouth of the container into surrounding relationship with the nozzle tip of the filling tube 30 as shown at position D. Hence, while the container is still held on platform 26 by dial 20 in the relation which will occur a moment after position C of Figure l, the mouth of the container will be brought into surrounding relationship with the nozzle tip 30. Thereafter, the container cannot fall over and any sliding of the container on platform 26 will be restricted by nozzle 30. It usually is sufiicient to lift the mouth of the container about 3/16 of an inch above the lower end of nozzle 30.

As is indicated by the platform at position D in Figure 4, dwell 90 holds the platform in the just-described position until the platform has moved to the left sufficiently far to clear the dial 20. It will be understood that the undersurface of the dial 20 will be slightly above the surface of the platforms 26 when the latter are raised to the extent permitted by the rise 88 and dwell 90.

Dwell 90 terminates in a relatively long rise 92 and the platform 26 illustrated at position E is moving up this rise. Rise 92 terminates in a less steeply inclined rise 94. The rises 92 and 94, together, permit the platform 26 to move upwardly suliiciently far that the mouth of the container bearing upon the sealing ring within the centering bell 32 will carry the centering bell upwardly into sealed relation with the usual sealing ring on the underside of the filling head sleeve. Thus, the container, centering bell 32, and the body portion of the filling head will be in scaled relationship and the container will be properly centered about the filling tube 3|). Immediately thereafter, as described in said patent, the filling valve will be operated by a counterpressure trip CT and then by a filling trip FT.

Figure l shows the usual blow-out trip BT and closing trip T to operate the filling valve while no container is positioned on the corresponding platform.

It will be observed that the cam 76 illustrated in Figure 4 always will have a like number of container carrying platforms 26 engaging its entrance rise 84 and its exit rises 88 and 92. The advantage of this arrangement is hereinafter discussed in connection with Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing only the platform controlling cam 76 and the cam engaging blocks or elements 78 of the container supporting platforms. The remainder of the construction will be clear from the showing of Figure 4. The blocks 78 may be of the same type as those shown in Figure 4 and in said Stewart and Bell application or may have cam engaging surfaces formed on a radii as shown in Figure 5.

The cam 76 of Figure 5 includes a centrally disposed downwardly facing dwell 104 positioned intermediate a downwardly inclined entrance rise 106 and an upwardly inclined eXit rise 108. In advance of rise 106 and beyond rise 108 cam 76 includes less sharply inclined rises to accommodate the block of any platform which does not carry a container and, therefore, is raised slightly higher than normal. The entrance rise 106 illustrated is at an angle of 19 45' to a horizontal plane while the exit rise 108 is at an angle of 22 30 with respect to a horizontal plane. ranged on an angle of the same order. The two rises 106 and 108 also are of substantially the same length so that, at any given moment, the same number of blocks 78 will be in engagement with each rise. Moreover, the cam 76 is of such length that when the block 78 of a container supporting platform bearing a container comes into In other words, both rises are arengagement with the extreme right-hand end of the entrance rise 106 as indicated by the block 78" at 1 in Figure 5, the block of another supporting platform will be starting up the exit rise 108 as indicated at 2 in Figure 5. Hence, the chamber formed by the cylinder 69 corresponding to the block starting up the exit rise 108 will provide a space in the fluid pressure chamber system to receive and compensate for the air being` expelled from the cylinder at position 1 which is being lowered by the entrance rise 106.

The fact that the cam 76 of Figure 5 always has the same number of blocks descending along its entrance rise as are moving upwardly along its exit rise provides a further compensation factor in the fiuid system. In addition, the fact that both rises are arranged on substantially the same angle will produce smoother operation because during any period of horizontal travel of a platform with the rotary filling table 24, the block of a descending platform will move substantially the same verical distance as the block of another and ascending platorm.

The result of the arrangement of Figure 5 is that no back-lash will occur when a block 78 enters the entrance rise 106 and, therefore, harmful vibrations will be avoided even when a fifty platform filling table 26 is rotating at the relatively high speeds necessary to fill 350 twelve ounce cans per minute. Also, by providing a cam 76 of the design illustrated in Figure 5, the air pressure within the manifold and chamber system of the platforms can be maintained at a pressure of thirty pounds per square inch and the piston surfaces within the container supporting platforms can be of a diameter of the order of 2l/z inches so that the platforms will be moved vertically at the high speed necessary with the abovementioned high speed rotation of the lling table.

The terminology used in the specification is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim:

l. In a container filling machine, a base, a. filling table rotatable upon said base about a vertical axis, container supporting elements carried by and vertically movable with respect to said table, a plurality of filling heads carried by said table and respectively including a container mouth engaging sealing ring and a depending filling nozzle in vertical alignment with said container supporting elements, means to position containers on said supporting elements at a point in the path of rotation of said table, and means to move said supporting elements downwardly in advance of said point, at said point initially elevate said supporting elements to bring the mouths of the containers into surrounding relationship with the filling nozzle of the corresponding filling head and then further elevate said elements to bring the mouths of the containers into engagement with said sealing ring.

2. A container filling machine of the character described in claim l wherein said means to position containers on the supporting elements comprises a dial rotatable about a vertical axis located outwardly of the periphery of the filling table.

3. A container filling machine of the character described in claim l wherein said means to position containers on the supporting elements comprises a dial rotatable about a vertical axis located outwardly of the periphery of the filling table, and said point in the path of rotation of the table corresponds to the point at which the dial centers containers on said container supporting elements.

4. In a container filling machine, a base, a filling table rotatable upon said base, about a vertical aXis, container supporting elements carried by and vertically movable with respect to said table, a plurality of filling heads carried by said table and respectively including a container mouth engaging sealing ring and a depending filling nozzle in vertical alignment with said container supporting elements, means to position containers on said supporting elements at a point in the path of rotation of said table, means to urge said elements upwardly, and means to control upward movement of said elements including a cam fixed to said base concentric with said table, a cam engaging element on each supporting element, said cam including a lowermost dwell in advance of said point at which containers are positioned on said supporting elements, and an upward rise originating at saidl point.

5. In a container filling machine, a base, a vfilling table rotatable upon said base about a vertical axis, a plurality of fluid pressure chambers carried by said table, a plurality of container supporting elements respectively vertically reciprocable with respect to said chambers, said chambers constantly being in communication with each other so that the fluid pressure therein will urge said supporting elements in one vertical direction with respect to said chambers, means to rotate said filling table, cams means fixed to said base in the path of rotation of said container supporting elements to move the latter in the opposite vertical direction, said cam means including a dwell portion intermediate an entrance rise and an exit rise, said rises being of such relative length that, a like number of said supporting elements always will be adjacent both rises.

6. In a container filling machine, a base, a filling table rotatable upon said base about a vertical axis, a plurality of fluid pressure chambers carried by said table, a plurality of container supporting elements respectively vertically reciprocable with respect to said chambers, said chambers constantly being in communication with each other so that the fluid pressure therein will urge said supporting elements in one vertical direction with respect to said chambers, means to rotate said filling table, cam means fixed to said base in the path of rotation of said container supporting elements to move the latter in the opposite vertical direction, said cam meansincluding adwell portion intermediate an entrance rise and an exit rise, said rises being of such relative length that a like number of said supporting elements always will be in engagement with both rises, both rises being at substantially the same angle with respect to a horizontal plane.

7. A container filling machine of the character described in claim 6 wherein said rises are of the order of 20 with respect to a horizontal plane.

8. In a container filling machine, a base, a table rotatable on the base about a vertical axis, a container supporting platform carried by and vertically reciprocable with respect to the table, vertical guideways fixed to the table, means to urge the platform in one vertical direction, a cam fixed to the base and positioned adjacent the path of rotary travel of the platform with the table, said cain including a horizontal face and faces inclined to the hori- .zontal, and means carried by the platform and cooperat- `ing with the cam to move the platform in the opposite vertical direction and comprising a block element including a horizontal face terminating at both ends in a convexly curved surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,046,048 Bastian Dec. 3, 1912 1,321,916 Henes et al Nov. 18, 1919 1,985,767 De Markus Dec. 25, 1934 2,331,540 Dilling Oct. 12, 1943 2,475,865 Vore et al. July 12, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 46,506 France July 9, 1936 

